FluidStance The Plane Cloud Balance Board Review

FluidStance has made it its mission to bring additional movement into the office. It has quickly become known as a balance board industry leader thanks to its product The Level, a motion platform for standing desks. However, addressing potential customers’ pricing concerns on the first model, FluidStance decided to create a very similar but more affordable balance board packaged in a sleek contemporary style—The Plane Cloud.

If The Level is the cool, sophisticated older brother, The Plane Cloud is its kid sibling who, just coming out of a rebellious stage, has already managed to borrow the best from its sibling (and there’s also another sibling: The Plane, which is identical to The Plane Cloud except for the surface. Encouraging movement that keeps your ankles close to their natural range of motion (as in walking) is the key element of any FluidStance deck. But this particular board makes things a bit more interesting. It features a dynamic and agile motion that is a welcomed improvement upon the longer and heavier Level.

How Does The Plane Cloud Differ from The Level?

What really changes The Plane Cloud’s appearance is the material from which it was built. With the base molded from high-molecular HDPE (High Density Polyethylene—one of the strongest recyclable plastics made with 100% post-industrial recycled materials) and a top deck made out of nearly 100% recycled low-emitting rubber tires, the board is fully recyclable and looks like an ultra contemporary office accessory rather than a decorator piece (although its underside pattern can start conversations just like the Level’s).

The made-in-America board comes in two color schemes, Slate and Graphite. Sure, this isn’t the same as bamboo or stained maple wood grain, but the bespeckled rubber tire surface has its own charm. More importantly, though, it definitely reduces the cost, which makes the board more affordable for those who want the FluidStance experience without paying more than they could pay for a standing desk converter.

When it comes to performance, The Plane Cloud operates in a happy medium between safety and more extreme challenge. Its movement isn’t jerky but has just enough dynamic to keep us interested. If we were to compare it to the Vew-Do Zone Fitness, The Plane Cloud would still offer a safer and more fluid standing desk motion experience.

The Plane Cloud Performance

After testing both The Level and The Plane Cloud, we’re leaning toward the latter because of its overall performance and price. Sure, The Level outclasses most boards in the appearance department, but The Plane Cloud finds the middle ground between looks, quality, and price without too many compromises. As a result, only things like weight capacity and deck size could be a bit better, but you can safely use the board if you’re average height and under 250 lbs.

One user voiced his concern about the board’s rough open texture being susceptible to dirt buildup, so we wouldn’t recommend using The Plane Cloud with your dress shoes. Besides, it’s not compatible with the brand’s own UPmat, so you may want to invest in polyurethane comfort shoes anyways if you want to prolong your standing time. People have used The Plane Cloud beyond the office in their kitchens and gyms, where you can wear just socks, and then the dirt buildup should not become a problem.

While we love The Plane Cloud, our only gripe about the functionality is that it seems very standard for balance boards and therefore falls behind other boards with more dynamic functionality (like the iMovR Gymba).

The Takeaway

On the surface, The Plane Cloud is, yes, plain cheaper for one, but its advantages are more than skin-deep. Its movement is just a bit more dynamic than The Level’s, which puts it in the sweet spot—not too boring and not too distracting. Its surface is non-slippery and offers a good grip regardless of whether or not you wear shoes. And its price is more affordable than any other FluidStance balance board. If you’re in the market for a standing desk balance board, The Plane Cloud is one of the best choices for standing desks.

Check out all our other balance board reviews along with our detailed comparison review of the top standing desk balance boards. Also, you might want to explore the related categories of standing desk mats, including the newfangled calculated terrain standing mats.

If you’re interested in exercising with your balance board, we’ve put together a list of our favorite balance board exercises.

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